Railroad-switch stand



(No Model.)

F. P. NEWELL & H. MHLE.

RAILROAD SWITCH STAND.

Patented Apr. 19. 1892. 3

"MMS IIIIIIIIHH FRANK. P. NEVVELL AND HENRY MOI-ILE, OF STEVENS POINT,VISCONSIN.

RAILROAD-SWITCH STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,335, dated April19, 1892.

Application filed September 14, 1891. Serial No. 405,673. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK. P. NEWELL and HENRY MOHLE, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Stevens Point, in the county of Portage andState of Wisconsin. have invented a new and useful Railroad-SwitchStand, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined switch lock and lever; and the objects in view are to provide a cheap and simple device adapted to be usedin connection with the ordinary switch-stand and to so construct thelever as to automatically become locked when adj usted to any one of its.numerous positions, thus avoiding the necessity of employing the usualcharacter of switch-locks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a switch-standhaving a combined lock and lever constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the upper portionof the stand,the line of section being taken longitudinally through thelever. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the locking-plate removed from thestand. Fig. 4 is an inner elevation of the locking-lever, thecase-covering plate being removed. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective ofthe key. Fig. 6 is a det-ail in perspective of the locking-bolt.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates an ordinary switch-stand, upon which is mounted the usuallocking-plate 2, and 3 designates the target or switch mast, rotatablyand vertically mounted in the stand and plate 2. At intervals theperiphery of the plate is provided with lever-receiving lockingnotcheset, and upon the under side of the plate is secured or cast a series ofhookshaped catches 5, one being located opposite each of the notches 4and projecting into the same, the said catches being slightly narrowerthan the notches, so as to leave spaces at each side of the catches.

6 designates the mast-operating arm, which projects from and is rigidlyconnected to the mast immediately above the locking-plate, over whichlatter the arm is designed to move.

Thefree end of the arm is bit' urcated, as shown at 7 and receives thereduced upper end 8 of the locking-lever 9, which lever ispivotedbetween the bifurcations by a transverse bolt lO.

The locking-lever a slight distance in front of the arm is cast orformed with a hollow chamber or lock-case 11, which is reduced, as at12, at its upper end and has formed at opposite sides a pair of ways 13.Upon the ways there is mounted for sliding a chamfered bolt 14, one sideof which is provided with a recess or ward 15, and upon the bottom ofthe bolt is formed a pair of depending pins or studs 16, which arelocated opposite a corresponding pair of pins 17, extending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the recess or chamber 11. A pair of coiled springs 18are interposed between the bottom of the bolt and the bottom of thechamber or lock-case, the ends of the springs receiving the pins orstuds16 and 17, said springs serving to yieldingly force the bolt toward theupper end of the recess or lockcase. The face of the lever is providedwith a dovetailed recess 20, into which is slid laterally a plate 19,the ends of which are beveled tofit the dovetailed walls of the recess20, said plate being secured in position by screws or other fasteningdevices.

One side wall of the lock-case is provided with a curved key-hole slot21, adapted to receive the curved blade 22 of the key 23, said blade,when the key is in position, serving to act in a camflike manner uponthe recess 15 of the bolt, thus pressing the latter downwardly againstits springs and unlatching or withdrawing the bolt from the catch 5,engaging the same. A

In operation the handle or lever is grasped by the switchman and swungto the desired notch and then lowered, which act brings the catch 5 ofthat notch or recess into which the handle is lowered into the reducedopening 1 2 at the upper end of the lock-case 1l and brings the inclinedface of the catch against the beveled face of the bolt, the two facesriding by each other and the bolt taking in rear of the shoulder of thecatch. It will now be obvious that a secure lock is effected between theswitch-lever and the lock-plate, and in order to disengage the same itis necessary to insert the key heretofore described and operate it inthe manner specified to depress the bolt IOO out of engagement with theshoulder of the i catch, whereupon said lever is released and may beswung out of engagement with the notch to the desired position in any ofthe other notches.

It will be observed that the mechanism constituting the lock isexceedingly simple and durable, including no small parts ditticult toassemble or liable to become impaired, and that when the lever has beenswung to the desired position it will automatically lock by reason ofits own Weight, so that it cannot be tampered with by unauthorizedpersons or miscreants or left unlocked accidentally by the switchman.

Having described our invent-ion, what we claim is 1. The combination,with the switch-stand, its mast, the locking-plate having notches, andcatches located upon the under side of the same opposite the notches, ofa mast-arm located above the plate, a lever pivoted to the end of thearm and provided with a lock-case and an opening above the same, thelatter adapted to receive the catches, and a springpressed bolt mountedin the lock-case and normally projected into the path of the catches,substantial] y as specified.

2. The combination, with a switch-stand, a notched locking-plateprovided upon its under side and opposite its notches with hooks smallerthan the notches, the switch-mast, and the bifurcated arm extending fromthe mast, of the lever loca-ted between the bifurcations and pivotedthereto, said lever being provided with the lock-case or chamber 11,reduced at its upper end to form an opening and having opposite Ways,the bolt mounted for sliding inthe ways and having the recess 15, andthe coiled springs interposed between the bottom of the recess and boltand serving to yieldingly support the latter in the opening, the sidewall of the case heilig provided with a keyhole adapted to receive a keyand located at one side of the bolt, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK. P. N EWELL. HENRY MOULE. \Vitnesses for Frank. P. Newell:

E. J. WALSH, OSCAR TREVALLEE. fitnesses for Henry Mohle',

GEO. STOCKEN, l1. C. CRAIG.

